The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-06
FIGURES WILL FALSIFY.
MORE OF HARPER'S ORIGINAL
METHODS OF BUSINESS.

The Riverside Iron and Steel Com pany
Had Assets of $500 When it Failed
Harper's Assets Aggregated $4,000
and Debts of Nearly $6,ooo,ooo-.
Checks Carried as Cash.
CINCINNATI, Dec. 5.--The Harper trial
was resumed to-day with NJ, Schofield, of
the First National Bank of New York, on
the stand to make some additions to his
testimony. Among other things he stated
that his bank had claim of SOS, 900 against
Receiver Armstrong of the Fidelity Bank.
Bookkeeper Walters was then cross
exam ined at considerable length. He
said the Riverside Iron and Steel
Works note, indorsed by Harper, gave
them credit Of 100000. He stated
also that Harper had fictitious credit with
the First National Bank of New York upon
which he drew. He admitted that he helped
the Rank Examiner make his examinations
and gave him all the information in his
power. Walters stated that he carried back
to the Metropolitan National Bank Sl00,0 900
which had been borrowed as a temporary
loan by Harper. He thought this was on
June II.
HEAVY ASSETS.
John s. Conner, assignee of the Riverside
works, testified that the assets were 1863
Maj. H. p Lloyd, assignee of E. L. Har-
| per, testified that he found assets amounting
to about $4,000. Against this stood claims
of the Chemical Bank, of New York, for
SIS, 600: Western National, of New York,
| for $500, 900; the claim of a Chicago gentle
man, Mr.. Armour, for 81, 100000 and a
civil suit for s., 100000 against him and
other directors of the bank.
ha..1ag faraf
Receiving Teller of the Fidelity
National Bank occupied an hour and half
of the afternoon session by reading from
books a schedule showing the amounts of
the checks carried as cash items, day by day,
during 1886 and 1887, by E. L. Harper, j.
W. Wiltshire and j. w. Wiltshire b Co,
| Wiltshire, Eclzert e. Co, E. l.. Harper &c
| Co., and Swifts Iron and Steel Works.
WHAT IT SHOWED.
The reading was monotonous. 1t showed
May 10, 1887, total of S69S, 800; May 81,
| 500, 0,643; June II, $953, ,743, and on June 20,
when the account was closed by the govern
ment, these items amounted TO 81, 100, ,266.
These checks were exhibited to the witness
and he identified them. The witness
said he received his instructions from
Harper. He then read statement
showing what would have been the state of
these accounts daily if the checks had taken
| the usual course from Jan. to June 20.
| 1887. Harper's account would have been
overdrawn at the last day S43, 900. The
Swift Iron and Steel Works account was
overdrawn all the time in amounts ranging
from 100000 to $4,000. The average
overdraft Of this account during this time
was about S250,000.
FIGURES FALsIFIED.
The ledger of the bank showed an aver
age credit balance of about S120, 900, the
books failing to show the true condition of
the accounts by from $30O,000 to S406, 600.
| The witness made similar showings with
J. w. Wiltshires account and in every in
stance stated that the course taken was at
the instance of Harper. 1t appeared that
at the final crash Wiltshire, Eckert 81 Co.'S
overdraft reached the enormous sum of
81. .109, ,622, while tn Swift Iron and Steel
| Works account was much nearer even than
it had been. The witness ex-
planned that this was done by
| Harper himself substituting their checks
for those Of Swift's Iron and Steel Works.
Harper appeared to have control of these
checks, for he brought them to the witness
| to be entered as he directed. This monobo-
nous reading of accounts rnnning into hun
dreds of thousands of dollars was not ended
when the court adjourned. 1t does not
seem possible for any defense to meet the
case these relentless figures make ag linst
| Harper. He listens to them without emo
| ton, and his counsel hears them without an
effort to parry their force.